Scapula Tertullus, Tineius Clemens, (A.D. 195 = a.u. 948 = Third of
Severus, from the Calends of June).
C. Domitius Dexter (II), L. Valerius Messala Priscus. (A.D. 196 = a.u. 949
= Fourth of Severus).
Ap. Claudius Lateranus, Rufinus. (A.D. 197 = a.u. 950 = Fifth of Severus).
Ti. Saturninus, C. Gallus. (A.D. 198 = a.u. 951 = Sixth of Severus).
P. Cornelius Anullinus, M. Aufidius Fronto. (A.D. 199 = a.u. 952 = Seventh
of Severus).
Ti. Claudius Severus, C. Aufidius Victorinus. (A.D. 200 = a.u. 953 =
Eighth of Severus).
L. Annius Fabianus, M. Nonius Mucianus. (A.D. 201 = a.u. 954 = Ninth of
Severus).
L. Septimius Severus Aug. (III), M. Aurel. Antoninus Aug. (A.D. 202 = a.u.
955 = Tenth of Severus).
[Sidenote: A.D. 195 (a.u. 948)] [Sidenote:--1--] Of such a nature were the
walls of Byzantium. During the progress of this siege Severus out of a
desire for fame had made a campaign against the barbarians,--the Osrhoeni,
the Adiabeni, and the Arabians. [The Osrhoeni and Adiabeni having revolted
were besieging Nisibis: defeated by Severus they sent an embassy to him
after the death of Niger, not to beg his clemency as wrongdoers but to
demand reciprocal favors, pretending to have brought about the outcome for
his benefit. It was for his sake, they said, that they had destroyed the
soldiers who belonged to Niger's party. Indeed, they sent a few gifts to
him and promised to restore the captives and whatever spoils were left.
However, they were not willing either to abandon the walled towns they had
captured or to accept the imposition of tributes, but they desired those
in existence to be lifted from the country. It was this that led to the
war just mentioned.]
[Sidenote:--2--] When he had crossed the Euphrates and invaded hostile
territory, where the country was destitute of water and at this summer
season had become especially parched, he came dangerously near losing
great numbers of soldiers. Wearied as they were by their tramping and the
hot sun, clouds of dust that they encountered harrassed them greatly, so
that they could no longer walk nor yet speak, but only utter the word
"Water, water!" When [moisture] appeared, on account of [its] strangeness
it attracted no more attention than if it had not been found, till Severus
called for a cup, and having filled it with water drank it down in full
view of all. Upon this some others likewise drank and were invigorated.
Soon after Severus entered Nisibis and himself waited there, but
despatched Lateranus and Candidus and Laetus severally among the
aforementioned barbarians. These upon attaining their goals proceeded to
lay waste the land of the barbarians and to capture their cities. While
Severus was greatly priding himself upon this achievement and feeling that
he surpassed all mankind in both understanding and bravery, a most
unexpected event took place. One Claudius, a robber, who overran Judaea
and Syria and was sought for in consequence with great hue and cry, came
to him one day with horsemen, like some military tribune, and saluted and
kissed him. The visitor was not discovered at the time nor was he later
arrested. [And the Arabians, because none of their neighbors was willing
to aid them, sent an embassy a second time to Severus making quite
reasonable propositions. Still, they did not obtain what they wanted,
inasmuch as they had not come in person.]
[Sidenote: A.D. 196 (a.u. 949)] [Sidenote:--3--] The Scythians, too, were
in fighting humor, when at this juncture during a deliberation of theirs
thunder and lightning-flashes with rain suddenly broke over them, and
thunderbolts began to fall, killing their three foremost men. This caused
them to hesitate.
Severus again made three divisions of his army, and giving one to Laetus,
one to Anullinus, and one to Probus, sent them out against ARCHE [Lacuna];
[Footnote: The MS. is corrupt. Adiabene, Atrene and Arbelitis have all
been suggested as the district to which Dio actually referred here.] and
they, invading it in three divisions, subdued it not without trouble.
Severus bestowed some dignity upon Nisibis and entrusted the city to the
care of a knight. He declared he had won a mighty territory and had
rendered it a bulwark of Syria. It is shown, on the contrary, by the facts
themselves that the place is responsible for our constant wars as well as
for great expenditures. It yields very little and uses up vast sums. And
having extended our borders to include men who are neighbors of the Medes
and Parthians rather than of ourselves, we are always, one might say,
fighting over those peoples.
[Sidenote:--4--] Before Severus had had time to recover breath from his
conflicts with the barbarians he found a civil war on his hands with
Albinus, his Caesar. Severus after getting Niger out of the way was still
not giving him the rank of Caesar and had ordered other details in that
quarter as he pleased; and Albinus aspired to the preeminence of emperor.
[Footnote: Omitting [Greek: autou] (as Dindorf).] While the whole world
was moved by this state of affairs we senators kept quiet, at least so
many of us as inclining openly neither to one man nor the other yet shared
their dangers and hopes. But the populace could not restrain itself and
showed its grief in the most violent fashion. It was at the last
horse-race before the Saturnalia, and a countless throng of people flocked
to it. I too was present at the spectacle because the consul was a friend
of mine and I heard distinctly everything that was said,--a fact which
renders me able to write a little about it.
It came about in this way. There had gathered (as I said) more people than
could be computed and they had watched the chariots contesting in six
divisions (which had been the way also in Oleander's time), applauding no
one in any manner, as was the custom. When these races had ceased and the
charioteers were about to begin another event, then they suddenly enjoined
silence upon one another and all clapped their hands simultaneously,
shouting, besides, and entreating good fortune for the public welfare.
They first said this, and afterward, applying the terms "Queen" and
"Immortal" to Rome, they roared: "How long are we to suffer such
experiences?" and "Until when must we be at war?" And after making a few
other remarks of this kind they finally cried out: "That's all there is to
it!" and turned their attention to the equestrian contest. In all of this
they were surely inspired by some divine afflation. For not otherwise
could so many myriads of men have started to utter the same shouts at the
same time like some carefully trained chorus or have spoken the words
without mistake just as if they had practiced them.
This manifestation caused us still greater disturbance as did also the
fact that so great a fire was of a sudden seen by night in the air toward
the north that some thought that the whole city and others that the sky
itself was burning. But the most remarkable fact I have to chronicle is
that in clear weather a fine silvery rain descended upon the forum of
Augustus, I did not see it in the air, but noticed it after it had fallen,
and with it I silverplated some small bronze coins. These retained the
same appearance for three days: on the fourth all the substance rubbed
upon them had disappeared.
[Sidenote:--5--] A certain Numerianus, who taught children their letters,
started from Rome for Galatia with I know not what object, and by
pretending to be a Roman senator sent by Severus to gather an army he
collected at first just a small force by means of which he destroyed a few
of Albinus's cavalry, whereupon he unblushingly made some further promises
in behalf of Severus. Severus heard of this and thinking that he was
really one of the senators sent him a message of praise and bade him
acquire still greater power. The man did acquire greater power and gave
many remarkable exhibitions of ability besides obtaining seventeen hundred
and fifty myriads of denarii, which he forwarded to Severus. After the
latter's victory Numerianus came to him, making no concealment, and did
not ask to become in very truth a senator. Indeed, though he might have
been exalted by great honors and wealth, he did not choose to accept them,
but passed the remainder of his life in some country place, receiving from
the emperor some small allowance for his daily subsistence.
[Sidenote: A.D. 197 (a.u. 950)] [Sidenote:--6--] The struggle between
Severus and Albinus near Lugdunum is now to be described. At the outset
there were a hundred and fifty thousand soldiers on each side. Both
leaders took part in the war, since it was a race for life and death,
though Severus had previously not been present at any important battle.
Albinus excelled in rank and in education, but his adversary was superior
in warfare and was a skillful commander. It happened that in a former
battle Albinus had conquered Lupus, one of the generals of Severus, and
had destroyed many of the soldiers attending him. The present conflict
took many shapes and turns. The left wing of Albinus was beaten and sought
refuge behind the rampart, whereupon Severus 's soldiers in their pursuit
burst into the enclosure with them, slaughtered their opponents and
plundered their tents. Meantime the soldiers of Albinus arrayed on the
right wing, who had trenches hidden in front of them and pits in the earth
covered over only on the surface, approached as far as these snares and
hurled javelins from a distance. They did not go very far but turned back
as if frightened, with the purpose of drawing their foes into pursuit.
This actually took place. Severus's men, nettled by their brief charge and
despising them for their retreat after so short an advance, rushed upon
them without a thought that the whole intervening space could not be
easily traversed. When they reached the trenches they were involved in a
fearful catastrophe. The men in the front ranks as soon as the surface
covering broke through fell into the excavations and those immediately
behind stumbled over them, slipped, and likewise fell. The rest crowded
back in terror, their retreat being so sudden that they themselves lost
their footing, upset those in the rear, and pushed them into a deep
ravine. Of course there was a terrible slaughter of these soldiers as well
as of those who had fallen into the trenches, horses and men perishing in
one wild mass. In the midst of this tumult the warriors between the ravine
and the trenches were annihilated by showers of stones and arrows.
Severus seeing this came to their assistance with the Pretorians, but this
step proved of so little benefit that he came near causing the ruin of the
Pretorians and himself ran some risk through the loss of a horse. When he
saw all his men in flight, he tore off his riding cloak and drawing his
sword rushed among the fugitives, hoping either that they would be ashamed
and turn back or that he might himself perish with them. Some did stop
when they saw him in such an attitude, and turned back. Brought in this
way face to face with the men close behind them they cut down not a few of
them, thinking them to be followers of Albinus, and routed all their
pursuers. At this moment the cavalry under Laetus came up from the side
and decided the rest of the issue for them. Laetus, so long as the
struggle was close, remained inactive, hoping that both parties would be
destroyed and that whatever soldiers were left on both sides would give
him supreme authority. When, however, he saw Severus's party getting the
upper hand, he contributed to the result. So it was that Severus
conquered.
[Sidenote:--7--] Roman power had suffered a severe blow, since the numbers
that fell on each side were beyond reckoning. Many even of the victors
deplored the disaster, for the entire plain was seen to be covered with
the bodies of men and horses. Some of them lay there exhausted by many
wounds, others thoroughly mangled, and still others unwounded but buried
under heaps. Weapons had been tossed about and blood flowed in streams,
even swelling the rivers. Albinus took refuge in a house located near the
Rhone, but when he saw all its environs guarded, he slew himself. I am not
telling what Severus wrote about it, but what actually took place. The
emperor after inspecting his body and feasting his eyes upon it to the
full while he let his tongue indulge in appropriate utterances, ordered
it,--all but the head,--to be cast out, and that he sent to Rome to be
exposed on a cross. As he showed clearly by this action that he was very
far from being an excellent ruler, he alarmed even more than before the
populace and us by the commands which he issued. Now that he had
vanquished all forces under arms he poured out upon the unarmed all the
wrath he had nourished against them during the previous period. He
terrified us most of all by declaring himself the son of Marcus and
brother of Commodus; and to Commodus, whom but recently he was wont to
abuse, he gave heroic honors. [Sidenote:--8--] While reading before the
senate a speech in which he praised the severity and cruelty of Sulla and
Marius and Augustus as rather the safer course, and deprecated the
clemency of Pompey and Caesar because it had proved their ruin, he
introduced a defence of Commodus, and inveighed against the senate for
dishonoring him unjustly though the majority of their own body lived even
worse lives. "For if", said he, "this is abominable, that he with his own
hands should have killed beasts, yet at Ostia yesterday or the day before
one of your number, an old man that had been consul, indulged publicly in
play with a prostitute who imitated a leopard. 'He fought as a gladiator,'
do you say? By Jupiter, does none of you fight as gladiator? If not, how
is it and for what purpose that some persons have bought his shields and
the famous golden helmets?" At the conclusion of this reading he released
thirty-five prisoners charged with having taken Albinus's side and behaved
toward them as if they had incurred no charge at all. They were among the
foremost members of the senate. He condemned to death twenty-nine men, as
one of whom was reckoned Sulpicianus, the father-in-law of Pertinax.
All pretended to sympathize with Severus but were confuted as often as a
sudden piece of news arrived, not being able to conceal the sentiments
hidden in their hearts. When off their guard they started at reports which
happened to assail their ears without warning. In such ways, as well as
through facial expression and habits of behavior, the feelings of every
one of them became manifest. Some also by an excess of affectation only
betrayed their attitude the more.
[Sidenote: LXXIV, 9, 5] Severus endeavored in the case of those who were
receiving vengeance at his hands [Lacuna] [Footnote: Some words appear to
have fallen out at this point (so Dindorf).] to employ Erucius Clarus
[Footnote: _C. Iulius Erucius Clarus Vibianus_.] as informer
against them, that he might both put the man in an unpleasant position and
be thought to have more fully justified conviction in view of his
witness's family and reputation. He promised Clarus to grant him safety
and immunity. But when the latter chose rather to die than to make any
such revelations, he turned to Julianus and persuaded him to play the
part. For this willingness he released him in so far as not to kill nor
disenfranchise him; but he carefully verified all his statements by
tortures and regarded as of no value his existing reputation.
[Sidenote: LXXV, 5] [In Britain at this period, because the Caledonians
did not abide by their promises but made preparations to aid the
Maeatians, and because Severus at the time was attending to the war
abroad, Lupus was compelled to purchase peace for the Maeatians at a high
figure, and recovered some few captives.]
[Sidenote: A.D. 198 (a.u. 951)] [Sidenote:--9--] The next thing Severus
did was to make a campaign against the Parthians. While he was busied with
civil wars, they had been free from molestation and had thus been able by
an expedition in full force to capture Mesopotamia. They also came very
near reducing Nisbis, and would have done so, had not Laetus, who was
besieged there, preserved the place. Though previously noted for other
political and private and public excellences, in peace as well as in wars,
he derived even greater glory from this exploit. Severus on reaching the
aforesaid Nisibis encountered an enormous boar. With its charge it killed
a horseman who, trusting to his own strength, attempted to run it down,
and it was with difficulty stopped and killed by many soldiers,--thirty
being the number required to stop it; the beast was then conveyed to
Severus.
The Parthians did not wait for him but retired homeward. (Their leader was
Vologaesus, whose brother was accompanying Severus). Hence Severus
equipped boats on the Euphrates and reached him partly by marching, partly
by sailing. The newly constructed vessels were exceedingly manageable and
well appointed, for the forest along the Euphrates and those regions in
general afforded the emperor an abundant supply of timber. Thus he soon
had seized Seleucia and Babylon, both of which had been abandoned.
Subsequently he captured Ctesiphon and permitted his soldiers to plunder
the whole town, causing a great slaughter of men and taking nearly ten
myriads alive. However, he did not pursue Vologaesus nor yet occupy
Ctesiphon, but as if the sole purpose of his campaign had been to plunder
it, he thereupon departed. This action was due partly to lack of
acquaintance with the country and partly to dearth of provisions. His
return was made by a different route, because the wood and fodder found on
the previous route had been exhausted. Some of his soldiers made their
retreat by land along the Tigris, following the stream toward its source,
and some on boats.
[Sidenote: A.D. 199(?)] [Sidenote:--10--] Next, Severus crossed
Mesopotamia and made an attempt on Hatra, which was not far off, but
accomplished nothing. In fact, even the engines were burned, many soldiers
perished, and vast numbers were wounded. Therefore Severus retired from
the place and shifted his quarters. While he was at war, he also put to
death two distinguished men. The first was Julius Crispus, a tribune of
the Pretorians. The cause of his execution was that indignant at the
damage done by the war he had casually uttered a verse of the poet Maro,
in which one of the soldiers fighting on the side of Turnus against Aeneas
bewails his lot and says: "To enable Turnus to marry Lavinia we are
meanwhile perishing, without heed being paid to us." [Footnote: Two and a
half lines beginning with verse 371 in Book Eleven of Virgil's Aeneid.]
Severus made Valerius, the soldier who had accused him, tribune in his
place. The other whom he killed was Laetus, and the reason was that Laetus
was proud and was beloved by the soldiers. They often said they would not
march, unless Laetus would lead them. The responsibility for this murder,
for which he had no clear reason save jealousy, he fastened upon the
soldiers, making it appear that they had ventured upon the act contrary to
his will.
[Sidenote: A.D. 200(?)] [Sidenote:--11--] After laying in a large store of
food and preparing many engines he in person again led an attack upon
Hatra. He deemed it a disgrace, now that other points had been subdued,
that this one alone, occupying a central position, should continue to
resist. And he lost a large amount of money and all his engines except
those of Priscus, as I stated earlier, [Footnote: Compare Book
Seventy-four, chapter 11.] besides many soldiers. Numbers were annihilated
in foraging expeditions, as the barbarian cavalry (I mean that of the
Arabians) kept everywhere assailing them with precision and violence. The
archery of the Atreni, too, was effective over a very long range. Some
missiles they hurled from engines, striking many of Severus's men-at-arms,
for they discharged two missiles in one and the same shot and there were
also many hands and many arrows to inflict injury. They did their
assailants the utmost damage, however, when the latter approached the
wall, and in an even greater degree after they had broken down a little of
it. Then they threw at them among other things the bituminous naphtha of
which I wrote above [Footnote: Compare the beginning of Book Thirty-six
(supplied from Xiphilinus).] and set fire to the engines and all the
soldiers that were struck with it. Severus observed proceedings from a
lofty tribunal. [Sidenote:--12--] A portion of the outer circuit had
fallen in one place and all the soldiers were eager to force their way
inside the remainder, when Severus checked them from doing so by giving
orders that the signal for retreat be sounded clearly on all sides. The
fame of the place was great, since it contained enormous offerings to the
Sun God and vast stores of valuables; and he expected that the Arabians
would voluntarily come to terms in order to avoid being forcibly captured
and enslaved. When, after letting one day elapse, no one made any formal
proposition to him, he commanded the soldiers again to assault the wall,
though it had been built up in the night. The Europeans who had the power
to accomplish something were so angry that not one of them would any
longer obey him, and some others, Syrians, compelled to go to the assault
in their stead, were miserably destroyed. Thus Heaven, that rescued the
city, caused Severus to recall the soldiers that could have entered it,
and in turn when he later wished to take it caused the soldiers to prevent
him from doing so. The situation placed Severus in such a dilemma that
when some one of his followers promised him that, if he would give him
only five hundred and fifty of the Europeans, he would get possession of
the city without any risk to the rest, the emperor said within hearing of
all: "And where can I get so many soldiers?" (referring to the
disobedience of the soldiers).
[Sidenote: A.D. 200 (a.u. 953)] [Sidenote:--13--] Having prosecuted the
siege for twenty days he next came to Palestine and sacrificed to the
spirit of Pompey: and into [upper] Egypt [he sailed along the Nile and
viewed the whole country, with some small exceptions. For instance, he was
unable to pass the frontier of Ethiopia on account of pestilence.] And he
made a search of everything, including what was very carefully hidden, for
he was the sort of man to leave nothing, human or divine, uninvestigated.
Following this tendency he drew from practically all their hiding places
all the books that he could find containing anything secret, and he closed
the monument of Alexander, to the end that no one should either behold his
body any more or read what was written in these books.
This was what he did. For myself, there is no need that I should write in
general about Egypt, but what I know about the Nile through verifying
statements from many sources I am bound to mention. It clearly rises in
Mount Atlas. This lies in Macennitis, close to the Western ocean itself,
and towers far above all mountains, wherefore the poets have called it
"Pillar of the Sky." No one ever ascended its summits nor saw its topmost
peaks. Hence it is always covered with snow, which in summer time sends
down great quantities of water. The whole country about its base is in
general marshy, but at this season becomes even more so, with the result
that it swells the size of the Nile at harvest time. This is the river's
source, as is evidenced by the crocodiles and other beasts that are born
alike on both sides of it. Let no one be surprised that we have made
pronouncements unknown to the ancient Greeks. The Macennitae live near
lower Mauretania and many of the people who go on campaigns there also
visit Atlas. It is thus that the matter stands.
[Sidenote:--14--] Plautianus, who enjoyed the special favor of Severus and
had the authority of prefect, besides possessing the fullest and greatest
influence on earth, had put to death many men of renown and his own
peers [Lacuna] [After killing Aemilius Saturninus he took away all the
most important prerogatives belonging to the minor officers of the
Pretorians, his subordinates, in order that none of them might be so
elated by his position of eminence as to lie in wait for the captaincy of
the body-guards. Already it was his wish to be not simply the only but a
perpetual prefect.] He wanted everything, asked everything from everybody,
and got everything. He left no province and no city unplundered, but
sacked and gathered everything from all sides. All sent a great deal more
to him than they did to Severus. Finally he sent centurions and stole
tiger-striped horses sacred [Footnote: Supplying [Greek: therous] (Reiske's
conjecture).] to the Sun God from the island in the Red Sea. This mere
statement, I think, must instantly make plain all his officiousness and
greediness. Yet, on second thought, I will add one thing more. At home he
castrated one hundred nobly born Roman citizens, though none of us knew of
it until after he was dead. From this fact one may comprehend the extent
alike of his lawlessness and of his authority. He castrated not merely
boys or youths, but grown men, some of whom had wives; his object was that
Plautilla his daughter (whom Antoninus afterward married) should be waited
upon entirely by eunuchs [and also have them to give her instruction in
music and other branches of art. So we beheld the same persons eunuchs and
men, fathers and impotent, gelded and bearded. In view of this one might
not improperly declare that Plautianus had power beyond all men, over even
the emperors themselves. For one thing, his portrait statues were not only
far more numerous but also larger than theirs, and this not simply in
outside cities but in Rome itself, and they were at this time reared not
merely by individuals but by no less a body than the senate itself. All
the soldiers and the senators took oaths by his Fortune and all publicly
offered prayer for his preservation.
[Sidenote:--15--] The person principally responsible for this state of
affairs was Severus himself. He yielded to Plautianus in all matters to
such a degree that the latter occupied the position of emperor and he
himself that of prefect. In short, the man knew absolutely everything that
Severus said and did, but not a person was acquainted with any of
Plautianus's secrets. The emperor made advances to his daughter on behalf
of his own son, passing by many other maidens of high rank. He appointed
him consul and virtually showed an anxiety to have him for successor in
the imperial office. Indeed, once he did say in a letter: "I love the man
so much that I pray to die before he does."]
[Lacuna] so that [Lacuna] some one actually dared to write to him as to a
fourth Caesar.
Though many decrees in his honor were passed by the senate he accepted
only a few of them, saying to the senators: "It is through your hearts
that you show your love for me, not through your decrees."
At temporary stopping-places he endured seeing him located in superior
quarters and enjoying better and more abundant food than he. Hence in
Nicaea (my native country) when he once wanted a hammer-fish, large
specimens of which are found in the lake, he sent to Plautianus to get it.
So if he thought at all of doing aught to diminish this minister's
leadership, yet the opposite party, which contained far greater and more
brilliant members, saw to it that any such plan was frustrated. On one
occasion Severus went to visit him, when he had fallen sick at Tyana, and
the soldiers attached to Plautianus would not allow the visitor's escort
to enter with him. Moreover, the person who arranged cases to be pled
before Severus was once ordered by the latter in a moment of leisure to
bring forward some case or other, whereupon the fellow refused, saying: "I
can not do this, unless Plautianus bid me." So greatly did Plautianus have
the mastery in every way over the emperor that he [frequently treated]
Julia Augusta [in an outrageous way,--for he detested her cordially,--and]
was always abusing [her violently] to Severus, and conducted
investigations against her as well as tortures of noble women. For this
reason she began to study philosophy and passed her days in the company of
learned men.--As for Plautianus, he proved himself the most licentious of
men, for he would go to banquets and vomit meantime, inasmuch as the mass
of foods and wine that he swallowed made it impossible for him to digest
anything. And whereas he made use of lads and girls in perfectly notorious
fashion, he would not permit his own wife to see or be seen by any person
whomsoever, not even by Severus or Julia [to say nothing of others].
[Sidenote:--16--] At this period there took place also a gymnastic
[Footnote: Reading [Greek: gymnikon] for [Greek: gynaikon], which is
possibly corrupt.] contest, at which so great a multitude assembled under
compulsion that we wondered how the race-course could hold them all. And
in this contest Alamanni [Footnote: Reading [Greek: Alamannai] for [Greek:
alomenai], which is undoubtedly corrupt.] women fought most ferociously,
with the result that jokes were made about other ladies, who were very
distinguished. Therefore, from this time on every woman, no matter what
her origin, was prohibited from fighting in the arena.
On one occasion a good many images of Plautianus were made (what happened
is worth relating) and Severus, being displeased at their number, melted
down some of them. As a consequence a rumor penetrated the cities to the
effect that the prefect had been overthrown and had perished. So some of
them demolished his images,--an act for which they were afterward
punished. Among these was the governor of Sardinia, Racius Constans, a
very famous man, whom I have mentioned, however, for a particular reason.
The orator who accused Constans had made this statement in addition to
others: "Sooner may the sky collapse than Plautianus suffer any harm at
the hands of Severus, and with greater cause might any one believe even
that report, were any story of the sort circulated." Now, though the
orator made this declaration, and though moreover Severus himself volubly
affirmed it to us, who were helping him try the case, and stated "it is
impossible for Plautianus to come to any harm at my hands," still, this
very Plautianus did not live the year out, but was slain and all his
images destroyed.--Previous to this a vast sea-monster had come ashore in
the harbor named for Augustus, and had been captured. A representation of
him, taken into the hunting-theatre, admitted fifty bears in its interior.
Again, for many days a comet star had been seen in Rome and was said to
portend nothing favorable.
DIO'S ROMAN HISTORY
77
Festivities on account of Severus's decennial, the marriage of Antoninus
and victories (chapter 1).
Death of Plautianus (chapters 2-4).
The friends and children of Plautianus are persecuted by Severus (chapters
5-9).
About Bulla Felix, a noble brigand (chapter 10).
Severus's campaign in Britain: an account of the Britons (chapters 11,
12).
After traversing the whole of Britain Severus makes peace (chapter 13).
How Antoninus desired to slay his father (chapter 14).
Death of Severus Augustus and a summary view of his life (chapters 15-17).